How Did We Champion Corporate Social Responsibility in 2023?

Our fifth annual Corporate Social Responsibility report demonstrates our ongoing commitment to our people, our global community and our planet.

Empathy allows us to understand different perspectives, connect meaningfully with others and effectively respond to people’s needs. Leading with empathy is essential, specifically in the workplace.

Our corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, Progress for Tomorrow, operates with empathy above all else. By focusing on three pillars—our people, our global community and our planet—we consciously promote an inclusive work environment, charitable giving and sustainable practices to reduce our carbon footprint.

“I’m proud to see us continually attaining new heights as a socially responsible organization,” said Yogesh Gupta, CEO, Progress. “Over the course of five years, we’ve formed seven employee resource groups, coordinated various charitable giving efforts, fostered inclusive programming geared toward mutual respect and allyship, and implemented sustainable practices across offices. What’s more, each member of our executive leadership team is actively engaged with our CSR program, either acting as executive sponsors or serving on our CSR and Inclusion and Diversity committees.”

“Today we’re happy that our work touches the lives of thousands and the results captured in the 2023 CSR report show not only our progress, but also the good that can be done when people think and act with empathy,” he continued.

Last year, we supported our people, gave back to our communities around the world and drove sustainability initiatives for our planet. Read some of the highlights from our CSR report below or download the full report to get all the details on what we accomplished in 2023.

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Empowering Our People

Our people power Progress. As a global organization with employees in over 20 countries, inclusion and diversity are paramount.

“Employees at every level, from all regions of the world, are responsible for the success of our inclusion and diversity efforts,” said Dr. Shirley Knowles, Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer. “Our commitment to creating a culture of belonging within Progress is what makes us a leader in the I&D space.”

In 2023, we sponsored activities, celebrations and events to foster an inclusive workplace culture. This commitment to inclusion wouldn’t be possible without the enthusiasm and hard work of our seven employee resource groups (ERGs): ASPIRE, Blacks@Progress, ENABLE, Plus, Progress for Her, Unidos and Veterans@Progress.

Our ERGs celebrated Lunar New Year, Black History Month, Ugadi and Pride Month, as well as hosted activities like cooking classes, virtual art tours and educational sessions. ERGs also donated to charities and causes to give back to their respective communities: Maui United Way, the Sentencing Project, Tools4Schools and Soldiers’ Angels were just a few of the organizations our ERGs supported in 2023.

In addition to our I&D efforts, we made sure to provide employees with opportunities for professional development. We launched the Progress Learning Hub, an internal platform that hosts and distributes career-focused content, as well as the Progress Learning Hour, a professional development webinar series open to all employees. We also continued our Mentorship Program, which saw an 8% increase in participation in 2023. 42% of our C-suite leaders also participated as individual mentors.

Virtual yoga classes, nutrition workshops and sessions on mindfulness and work/life balance helped our employees stay on track with their physical and mental health. All these efforts got us some well-deserved recognition: Boston Business Journal, The Boston Globe and Built In all named Progress a top place to work in 2023.

Contributing to Our Global Community

We do our best to give back to the communities we serve around the world. From fundraising and allyship to STEM education, we strive to make a difference in the places people call home.

In 2023, we invested in a company-wide charitable giving solution to enhance our philanthropic impact and enable our employees to donate to causes closest to them. As a result, we more than doubled the organizations we supported, donating time, money and other resources to over 330 charities worldwide. These charities included Note in the Pocket, Sphoorti Foundation, SOS Children’s Villages, Enable Ireland and more.

We also partnered with and supported organizations championing STEM education. Kids in Tech, Flare Education and Telerik Academy School were just some of the institutions we worked with to promote and advance students’ interest in STEM.

Additionally, 2023 saw the continuation of our Women in STEM Scholarship Series. These scholarships help women-identifying students in the U.S., Bulgaria and India pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Established in 2019 with the Mary Székely Scholarship for Women in STEM, the Scholarship Series has supported 14 young women around the world.

“I’m really interested in seeing how my passion for technology, art and sustainability can intersect in meaningful ways to help social good,” said Julie Wang, 2023 recipient of the Mary Székely Scholarship for Women in STEM.

“Technology can do so much to help improve mental health, well-being, sustainability and more, and I really want to make that the focus of my career,” she continued. “I’m honored to receive this scholarship in Mary’s name.”

Other 2023 recipients included Alisa Dermendzhiyska, Bozhana Georieva and Elitza Yotkova, who were awarded the Women in Tech Scholarship in Bulgaria; and Soumya Teotia, who was awarded the Akanksha Scholarship for Women in STEM in India.

“I am honored to be a recipient of this scholarship and look forward to maximizing this opportunity to enhance my skills and knowledge in the IT sector,” Alisa said. “By supporting women in technology, Progress is paving the way for a brighter future, empowering girls to pursue their passions and contribute to the ever-evolving world of technology.”

Caring for Our Planet

Last year, we began to think about what else we could do to promote sustainability. We found ways to make our offices more eco-friendly and encouraged small habits that would positively impact our world.

In Ireland and Bulgaria, Progressers participated in an Earth Day office cleanup, and we centralized waste and recycle bins in our headquarter office in Burlington, MA to encourage proper disposal. We also renewed the “Adopt a Beehive” program in North Carolina and Bulgaria.

We reduced our carbon footprint by 16% in 2023 and our energy use by 29%. By using water dispensers in our Sofia, Bulgaria and Burlington, Massachusetts offices, we saved 115,070 bottles from being used.

Progress for Tomorrow

In 2023, we remained committed to the people and communities we serve. We look forward to continuing to lead with empathy, and to growing and learning as much as possible.

To learn more about Progress’ CSR efforts, download the full 2023 CSR report.

Download the report